Moths & Legends The contribution of chitoumou, the edible caterpillar Cirina butyrospermi, to food security, agriculture and biodiversity in a low-intensity agroforestry system

The global food system is essential for sustaining human life, yet in its current form it does so at a great cost to both human and environmental health. Food insecurity and diet-related disease are responsible for 70% of deaths worldwide, and the global extinction rate is ~1000 times estimated background rates due to the widespread destruction of wild habitat for agriculture. The production of livestock for animal protein is a key driver of both trends. This thesis considers the potential of edible insects in existing agricultural systems to mitigate these problems, with a focus on the role of chitoumou (Cirina butyrospermi), the commonly consumed shea caterpillar harvested from agroforestry systems in Burkina Faso, West Africa. I begin this thesis with a review of the role of edible insects in agricultural systems worldwide. Though certain insects are currently touted for commercial scale production, many popular edible insects are already harvested from existing systems, in which they prey on plant crops. These insects often cause damage to crop yields, but also provide vital provisioning, regulating, maintaining and cultural ecosystem services. Yet, few data are available to enable farmers and policymakers to weigh up the costs and benefits of edible insects in agricultural systems. Therefore, I examine the contributions of chitoumou – a popular edible insect in a region with acute food insecurity and environmental degradation – to food security, crop yields and biodiversity. Firstly, I evaluate the contribution of shea caterpillars to food security. I show that animal protein consumption and food security are higher during caterpillar season, and that higher food security is associated with caterpillar collection, sale and consumption. Shea caterpillars contribute positively to food security, but this effect is seasonal. Secondly, I investigate the relationship between defoliation by shea caterpillars and crop yields. Observational data show that defoliation does not have a negative association with yields of either shea (Vitellaria paradoxa) or maize (Zea mays). This challenges assumptions held by some stakeholders that it is necessary to take measures to eradicate these insects. Thirdly, I look at the relationship of caterpillars to biodiversity, using defoliation as a proxy for caterpillar abundance and bird abundance as a proxy for biodiversity. I find no significant relationship, suggesting that defoliation by caterpillars is not a significant threat to biodiversity in this region. Consequently, policymakers and smallholder farmers alike should recognize that shea caterpillars are not pests, and that the retention of shea trees will promote food security. However, policymakers in particular should be aware that the contribution of shea caterpillars to food security is seasonally limited. For this reason, assessments of food insecurity and strategies to mitigate food insecurity in this region are best conducted out of caterpillar season. Future research that aims to tackle acute global problems of human and environmental health using edible insects should consider the role of insects in existing agricultural systems, and quantify how such insects affect regions where these problems are most severe.I received funding for this work from: the Natural Environment Research Council of the UK (NERC); the Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition (BCFN); crowdfunding campaign on Experiment.com; the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science; King’s College, Cambridge; the Department of Zoology at the University of Cambridge

Nested Houses: Domestication dynamics of human-wasp relations in contemporary rural Japan.

BACKGROUND: Domestication is an important and contested concept. Insects are used as food worldwide, and while some have been described as domesticated and even 'semi-domesticated', the assumptions and implications of this designation are not clear. The purpose of this paper is to explore these aspects of insect domestication, and broader debates in domestication studies, through the case of edible wasps in central rural Japan. METHODS: Both authors conducted ethnographic fieldwork with communities in central rural Japan. Fieldwork comprised participant observation, semi-structured interviews, quantitative surveys and a review of resources including the personal and public records of wasp collectors. RESULTS: The practice of keeping wasps in hive boxes has historical roots and has changed significantly within living memory. Current attempts to further develop the practice involve collectors' great efforts to keep new queens during their hibernation. Collectors have also tried, still without success, to keep wasps living within a human-made enclosure for their entire life cycle. These and other practices are costly in both time and money for collectors, who emphasise enjoyment as their primary motivation. At the same time, they also engage in practices such as pesticide use that they recognise as damaging to wasp ecology. CONCLUSIONS: These practices can be understood to some extent in domesticatory terms, and in terms of care. We develop a framework for understanding domesticatory practices of insect care, discuss how this case contributes to ongoing debates within domestication studies, and recommend further research to be pursued

Effects of defoliation by the edible caterpillar “chitoumou” (Cirina butyrospermi) on harvests of shea (Vitellaria paradoxa) and growth of maize (Zea mays)

Edible insects are found in agricultural systems worldwide, and are an important source of food and income. However, many edible insects are also pests of important food crops, which raises the question of how far their presence might be costly to farmers in terms of reduced crop yields. In this study we aimed to understand the impact of defoliation of shea trees by edible caterpillars on yields of shea and maize in a mixed agroforestry system in Burkina Faso, West Africa. We collected field data in two consecutive years. Our results suggest that tree defoliation by caterpillars has no effect on shea fruit yields, and that defoliation may have a positive effect on maize productivity. We conclude that this appears to be an example of an agricultural system in which nutritionally and economically important plants and insects are both harvested by humans without risking yield reductions of harvested plants.We ... thank the Natural Environment Research Council of the UK (NERC), King’s College, Cambridge, and the Department of Zoology at the University of Cambridge, for financial support

LEARN-TEACH: a pilot to boost Ocean Literacy in High Schools

Raising the Ocean Literacy of all levels of society is now a policy priority for the European Commission. The long-term objective is better appreciation of the socio-economic benefits and ecosystem services that the marine environment provides, and encourage better stewardship of the seas. One long-term, and potentially self-sustainable, concept is to put sufficient mutual incentives in place so that researchers, teachers and students in high-schools science and mathematics classes accessorize school curricula with the latest marine research results and knowledge. Summary of preliminary teachers consultations at Copenhagen International School suggest that teachers are prepared and willing to include recent marine research, research data and knowledge in high school science classes and carry over the research data to athematics/statistics classes and exercises. However the active participation of researchers is sought to provide guidance and translation of latest research findings, and point toreal data sources

A content analysis of vocabulary instruction in high school commercial literacy programs

The purpose of this study was to analyze the teachers’ manuals of the leading commercial high school reading programs to determine the extent to which they provide effective vocabulary instruction as advocated by the leading professional organizations in literacy. By synthesizing the standards of instruction from professional organizations, effective practices for teaching vocabulary and improving students’ overall performance were determined. This study evaluated the 3 leading commercial reading programs for high school students, READ 180, Fast Track, and Language!, and revealed that none of these programs met all the standards required for effective instruction

Comparison of Techniques Used for Application of Hip Spica Cast to Treat Femoral Shaft Fractures in Children: Long-Term Follow-Up

After treatment using hip spica casts, femoral shaft fractures in children can appear well reduced in the operating room. However, the resulting bone length may quickly angulate or shorten. We describe a technique that places a well-molded hip spica cast to help decrease the risk of revision procedures and malunited fractures. We compared results of patients aged 1 to 6 years treated by one pediatric orthopaedic surgeon using the casting technique described (Group A, n = 25) to those treated by other orthopaedic surgeons who did not use the technique (Group B, n = 46). Although not statistically significant, results indicated less shortening and varus angulation in the patients who underwent the described casting technique. Findings of the current study may help guide and recommend this technique in treating children with femoral shaft fractures

How do people with diabetes describe their experiences in primary care? Evidence from 85,760 patients with self-reported diabetes from the English General Practice Patient Survey.

OBJECTIVE: Developing primary care is an important current health policy goal in the U.S. and England. Information on patients' experience can help to improve the care of people with diabetes. We describe the experiences of people with diabetes in primary care and examine how these experiences vary with increasing comorbidity. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Using data from 906,578 responders to the 2012 General Practice Patient Survey (England), including 85,760 with self-reported diabetes, we used logistic regressions controlling for age, sex, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status to analyze patient experience using seven items covering three domains of primary care: access, continuity, and communication. RESULTS: People with diabetes were significantly more likely to report better experience on six out of seven primary care items than people without diabetes after adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status (adjusted differences 0.88-3.20%; odds ratios [ORs] 1.07-1.18; P < 0.001). Those with diabetes and additional comorbid long-term conditions were more likely to report worse experiences, particularly for access to primary care appointments (patients with diabetes alone compared with patients without diabetes: OR 1.22 [95% CI 1.17-1.28] and patients with diabetes plus three or more conditions compared with patients without diabetes: OR 0.87 [95% CI 0.83-0.91]). CONCLUSIONS: People with diabetes in England report primary care experiences that are at least as good as those without diabetes for most domains of care. However, improvements in primary care are needed for diabetes patients with comorbid long-term conditions, including better access to appointments and improved communication.Diabetes UKThis is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from the American Diabetes Association via http://dx.doi.org/10.2337/dc14-109

CHD4 slides nucleosomes by decoupling entry- and exit-side DNA translocation

© 2020, The Author(s). Chromatin remodellers hydrolyse ATP to move nucleosomal DNA against histone octamers. The mechanism, however, is only partially resolved, and it is unclear if it is conserved among the four remodeller families. Here we use single-molecule assays to examine the mechanism of action of CHD4, which is part of the least well understood family. We demonstrate that the binding energy for CHD4-nucleosome complex formation—even in the absence of nucleotide—triggers significant conformational changes in DNA at the entry side, effectively priming the system for remodelling. During remodelling, flanking DNA enters the nucleosome in a continuous, gradual manner but exits in concerted 4–6 base-pair steps. This decoupling of entry- and exit-side translocation suggests that ATP-driven movement of entry-side DNA builds up strain inside the nucleosome that is subsequently released at the exit side by DNA expulsion. Based on our work and previous studies, we propose a mechanism for nucleosome sliding